White Castle Onion Rings (Small): 480 Calories
A popular side dish at White Castle, the onion rings are made with fresh onions and fried to a deep golden brown crisp. The fast casual restaurant uses corn flour and adds some sugar to its recipe. (See the full list of ingredients at the end of this post.) Those additives may enhance the flavors of the onions and other seasoning.
One small order of onion rings has 480 calories, 33 grams dietary fat, 40 grams carbohydrates, and 6 grams protein.
Read this post for your in-depth overview of the calories, nutrition facts, and ingredients in an order of White Castle Onion Rings.
White Castle offers similar menu items, including Onion Chips and Chicken Rings, at select locations. Those side dishes have different quantities of nutrients per serving than the classic Onion Rings.
Calories and Nutrition Facts
Nutrition facts, including calories, is based on a single serving measured as one small order of onion rings with a net weight of 141 grams.
Any reference to the percentage daily value (%DV) illustrates how much a single nutrient in one serving contributes to an overall daily diet of 2,000 calories, based on recommendations by the U.S. FDA.
Nutritional information in this guide is based on a size Small, unless otherwise noted.
Calories
There are 480 calories in a small order of White Castle Onion Rings.
The majority of calories are derived from dietary fat. Each serving contains 33 grams of fat, which contributes about 295 calories, about 61% of the total calories.
Carbohydrates make up another 33% of the total calories, and the balance is from protein. Based on a small size order, the composition of calories is as follows:
- Fat: 295 calories
- Carbs: 160 calories
- Protein: 25 calories
- Total: 480 calories per small serving
Calories in Large Size
By comparison, a Sack of onion rings (the largest size available at White Castle) contains 890 total calories. The breakout of the composition of calories by macronutrient is essentially the same as a size small.
The summary of calories by macronutrient above is a rounded estimate based on the nutrition facts provided by White Castle and excludes ketchup or other dipping sauce.
Total Fat
One small order of onion rings has 33 grams of total fat, including five grams of saturated fat. That is considered high on both counts.
SUMMARY OF DIETARY FAT PER SERVING
Sodium
The amount of sodium in one serving of onion rings is consider high. There are 580 milligrams of sodium in a small order, which equates to a 25% daily value.
The following summary of nutritional information is based on a small order of onion rings.
Nutrition Summary
Serving Size 1 Small Order (141g)
CALORIES
480TOTAL FAT
33g(42%DV)
CARBOHYDRATES
40g(15%DV)
PROTEIN
6g| Saturated Fat | 5g (25%DV) |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg (0%DV) |
| Sodium | 580mg (25%DV) |
| Dietary Fiber | 7g (7%DV) |
| Total Sugars | 7g |
%DV (Percent Daily Values) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your daily value may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.
Onion Rings Ingredients and Allergens
Ingredients
The onion rings are cooked in Soybean Oil with TBHQ, Citric Acid (preservatives) and Dimethylpolysiloxane (anti-foaming agent).
Here is the list of ingredients used to make the onion rings at White Castle fast food restaurant.
Ingredients:Onions, Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Cornstarch, Yellow Corn Flour, Sugar, Modified Food Starch, Wheat Starch, Sodium Alginate, Dextrose, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Whey, Leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Paprika Extract (for color).
What is TBHQ in Food?
Tert-Butylhydroquinone, typically referred to as TBHQ, is a crystalline antioxidant.
TBHQ is used in food because it blocks the presence of oxidation in fats. Oxidation weakens flavor, alters the coloring in food, and can also result in fats turning rancid. TBHQ is thus used to prevent those effects of oxidation, increase the shelf life and reduce spoilage.
You will find TBHQ in a variety of processed foods, including pasta, cereal, crackers, microwave popcorn, chicken nuggets and other fried foods.
A similar additive is butylated hydroxyanisol, which is often used in combination with TBHQ.
TBHQ is listed as one of the ingredients in the Soybean Oil that’s used when cooking the onion rings.
Allergens
The onion rings are made with ingredients that contain soy and wheat. They are also cooked in the same fryer as menu items that may contain dairy, egg, or fish.
Ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts are based on available information as of the date this article was published and/or updated. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change their recipes without notice. Check directly with the food provider for the most accurate and up-to-date information. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide health or wellness advice or dietary recommendations. Our aim is to research commercially processed food and publish articles for informational purposes only. Unless otherwise stated, % Daily Value is based on 2,000 calories per day, but calorie needs vary by individual. Always consult your physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts, allergens, and ingredients source: White Castle